Fluid-tight closure assembly



Sept. 2, 1969 1. K. MATES 3,454,094

' FLUID-TIGHT CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed July 112, 1967 I FIG. 5

INVENTOR JACK K. MATES ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,464,094 FLUID-TIGHT CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Jack K. Mates, Scarsdale, NY., assigner to American Velcro, Inc., a corporation of New Hampshire Filed July 12, 1967, Ser. No. 652,852 Int. Cl. A44b 17/00 U.S. Cl. 24-204 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closure assembly for releasably joining sheet members in fluid-tight relationship including tape members secure to respective sheets at the portions to be joined, each tape member being provided with two or more lon gitudinally extending strips of hook type hooking elements and loop type hooking elements and one or more longitudinally extending strips of compressible material, the compressible strips and the hooking element strips of each tape member being arranged to register with the compressible strips and hooking elements strips of the other tape member when the respective tape members are aligned and forced together in face-to-face engagement.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a closure assembly for releasably joining a pair of sheet members in fluid type relationship. More particularly, this invention relates to a closure construction wherein means are provided for releasably securing elements of the closure in face-to-face relationship and further means are provided for preventing the passage of fluids through the interfacial plan of the engagement of the closure elements.

In many instances, it is desirable to provide a fluid-tight seam between two sheets of fabric, rubber, plastic or other material and at the same time equally desirable to provide that Such a seam be separable. For example, in the case of clothing which is designed especially for use either in foul weather or underwater, it is particularly desirable to provide both a relatively convenient means of ingress and egress and sufiicient protection from the elements. The same considerations are present in the design of camping equipment such as tents and other portable shelters. Zippers, snaps, buttons and other similar closures may satisfy the requirement of convenience, but they do not provide complete protection from the elements. Boat covers, tarpaulins and other outdoor equipment covers also require closure assemblies of the above type but the assemblies now in use provide no better protection than the assemblies of foul weather garments.

Summary of the invention The closure assembly of the present invention is for releasably joining two members in fluid-tight relationship and comprises a first tape member secured to one of the two members and a second tape member secured to the other of the two members. A rst surface of such tape member has at least two longitudinally extending, spaced-apart strips of hooking elements of flexible resilient material. A longitudinally extending strip of compressible material is provided in the space `between the hooking element strips of at least one tape member. The hooking elements may be formed of either hooks or loops and are characterized by the property that forcing a surface defined by hooks into face-to-face relationship with a surface defined by loops will result in a large number of hooks engaging a large number of loops which resist separation parallel to the interfacial plane of engagement but which are readily separable by peeling forces applied substantially normal to this interfacial plane. Complementary strips of the hooking elements are provided opposite each other on each tape member and when the tape members are pressed together the hooking elements of each strip interengage thereby compressing the compressible material sufficiently to provide a seal which prevents fluid passage through the interfacial plane of engagement of the two members.

The present invention utilizes hook and loop fasteners such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,717,437 and 3,009,235 which include separable members each comprising a sheet of woven fabric having raised threads of synthetic material wherein the loops of one tape member are cut at their outer extremity to form hooks While the loops of the other tape member remain uncut. It is also contemplated that a given member may comprise both hooks and loops. Where the two members of the fasteners are pressed together in face-to-face relationship, there is substantial engagement of hook threads with loop threads. A considerable effort must be applied to separate the members unless they are peeled apart. In that event, the members may be separated quite easily.

The present invention has the advantages of durability and convenience of operation and at the same time pro vides a seam which is fiuid tight. Various arrangements of the compressible strips are contemplated. The quantity of fluid and the pressure of the fluid in the external environment determines the number of strips, the type of compressible material and the particular strip configuration to be employed in each instance. Thus fluid-tight as used herein means a seal is provided which will resist passage of a particular fluid, liquid or gas, at intended pressure and temperatures.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present closure assembly;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present closure assembly;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the present closure assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional View of a fourth embodiment of the present closure assembly.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring initially to FIGS. l and 2, a first sheet member 11 and second sheet member 12 are releasably joined together at marginal edge portions 13 and 14 respectively. A first tape member 15 usually of woven fabric is secured to the marginal edge portion 13 of the first sheet 11. A first surface of the first tape member 15 is defined by an elongated strip 16 of soft compressible material such as polyurethane or rubber foam, but can be any other compressible material. The compressible strip 16 is secured to and extends longitudinally along the entire first surface of the first tape member 15. The remainder of the first surface of the tape member 15 is defined by two strips 17, 18` which comprises a plurality of upstanding hooking elements 19. The hooking elements 19 are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as superpolyamide which are cut at their outer extremities to form hooks as shown in the present embodiment or may be closed loops. Usually, the hooking elements 19 are formed integrally in the woven fabric tape 15. The hooking element strips 17, 18 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the first tape member 15. The strip 17 extends transversely from a marginal edge 21 of tape member 15 to a marginal edge 22 of the compressible strip 16, and strip 18 extends transversely from a marginal edge 23 of tape member 15 to a marginal edge 24 of the compressible strip 16. A Second or reverse surface of the first tape member is provided with a fluid impervious layer 2S which is bonded or adhered directly thereto.

A second tape member 27 usually of woven fabric is secured to the marginal edge portion 14 of the second sheet member 12. A first surface of the second tape member 27 is defined by an elongated strip 28 of soft compressible material such as polyurethane or rubber foam. The compressible strip 28 is secured to and extends longitudinally along the entire length of the second tape member 27. The remainder of the first surface of the tape member 27 is defined by two strips 29, 30 which comprises a plurality of upstanding complementary hooking elements 31. The complementary hooking elements 31 are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as superpolyamide which are closed loops as shown in the present embodiment or may be cut at their outer extremities to form hooks. While hook type hooking elements 19 have been provided on tape member 15 and loop type hooking elements 31 have been provided on tape member 27, it is intended that they may be interchanged and thus hooks provided on tape member 27 and loops on tape member 15. In fact, it is contemplated that a given tape surface may comprise both hook type and loop type hooking elements. As in the case of hooking elements 19, the complementary hooking elements 31 are formed integrally in the woven fabric of tape member 27. The complementary hooking element strips 29, 30 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the second tape member 27. The strip 29 extends transversely from a marginal edge 32 of second tape member 27 to a marginal edge 33 of the compressible strip 28, and the strip 30 extends transversely from a marginal edge 34 of the tape member 27 to marginal edge 35 of the compressible strip 28. A second or reverse surface of the second tape member 27 is provided with a fluid impervious layer 36 which is similar to the layer of the first tape member 15.

The compressible strip 16 and the hooking element strips 17, 18 are arranged on the first surface of the first tape member 15 to register with the compressible strip 28 and the complementary hooking element strips 29, of the first surface of the second tape member 27. When the tape members 15, 27 are aligned as shown in FIGS. l and 2. Upon bringing the tape members 15 and 27 firmly into face-to-face engagement, the compressible strip 16 of the first tape member 15 is compressed against the compressible strip 28 of the second tape member 27 in fluid-tight engagement and a large number of hooking elements 19 of the first tape member 15 engage a large number of complementary hooking elements 31 of the second tape member 27. The elements 19, 31 so engaged, constitute a bond which maintains the compressible strips 16, 28 in fluid-tight engagement and resists separation. However, elements 19, 31 may be separated readily by a peeling force applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of lengagement. The requirements of the compressible material is that its total uncompressed thickness must exceed the combined thickness of the joined hooking elements and must be compressible to the extent that the hooking elements will fully engage in face-to-face engagement, and must not be so resilient that forces will be set up in the joined closure which would tend to separate the tape members. The other requirements as toy the structure of the compressible material will depend on the fluid, liquid or gas, to be sealed off and the pressure differentials set up on Opposite sides of the closure assembly. Thus while an open celled polyurethane foam need not be fluid impervious, if compressed sufficiently it will withstand a surprising liquid pressure without leaking.

Another outstanding feature of the closure assembly is that by using flexible tape members provided with hooking elements and a flexible compressible material combination, the results is an assembly which provides a fluid tight assembly which preserves all the flexibility 4 of the tape and compressible material. The number of hooking elements engaged ensures locking effect that creates substantially uniform compressive forces on the compressible material, thereby ensuring the preservation of the fluid seal during fiexing of the closure assembly.

Alternate arrangements of compressible strips may be employed in the closure assembly of the present invention to compensate for more rigorous conditions. The fluid barriers may be increased in number as in the FIG. 3 ernbodiment wherein a first sheet member 41 and a second sheet member 42 are releasably joined together at marginal edge portions 43 and 44 respectively. A first woven fabric tape member 45 is secured to the marginal edge portion 43 of the first sheet 41. A first surface of the first tape member 45 is defined by two spaced apart elongated strips 46, 47 of soft compressible material such as polyurethane or rubber foam. The remainder of the first surface of the first tape member 45 is defined by three strips 48, 49, 50 which comprise a plurality of upstanding hooking elements 51 which are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as super polyamide and which are cut at their outer extremities to form hooks. It is apparent that the nature of the hooking elements and the various modifications thereof described in relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 are common to the FIG. 3 embodiment and to all other embodiments to be described infra. Therefore, these details need not be restated in the description of each embodiment. The hooking element strips 48, 49, 50 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the first tape member 45. The strip 48 extends transversely from a marginal edge 52 of tape member 45 to a marginal edge 53 of the compressible strip 46, the strip 49 extends transversely from another marginal edge 54 of the compressible strip 46 to a marginal edge 55 of the compressible strip 47, and the strip 50 extends transversely from another marginal edge 56 of the compressible strip 47 to a marginal edge 57 of the tape member 45. A second or reverse surface of the first tape member 45 is provided with a fluid-impervious layer 59 which is bonded or adhered directly thereto.

A second woven fabric tape member 61 is secured to the marginal edge portion 44 of the second sheet member 42. A first surface of the second tape member 61 is defined by two elongated strips 62, 63, of soft compressible material such as polyurethane or rubber foam. The compressible strips 62, 63 are secured to and extend longitudinally along the entire length of the second tape member 61. 'Ihe remainder of the first surface of the second tape member 61 is defined by three strips 64, 65, 66 which comprise a plurality of upstanding complementary hooking elements 67 which are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as super polyamide and which are closed loops. The complementary hooking element strips 64, 65, 66 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the second tape member 61. The strip 64 extends transversely from a marginal edge 68 of the second tape member 61 to a marginal edge 69 of the compressible strip 62, the strip 65 extends transversely from another marginal edge 70 of the compressible strip 62 to a marginal edge 71 of the compressible strip 63, and the strip 66 extends transversely from another marginal edge 72 of the compressible strip 63 to a marginal edge 74 of the second tape member 61. A second or reverse surface of the second tape member 61 is provided with a fluid-impervious layer 76 which is bonded or adhered thereto.

As in the FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiment, the compressible strips 46, 47 and the hooking element strips 48, 49, 50 are arranged on the first surface of the first tape member 45 to register with the compressible strips 62, 63 and the complementary hooking element strips 64, 65, 66 of the first surface of the second tape member 61 when the tape members 45, 61 are aligned as shown in FIG. 3 and brought firmly into face-to-face engagement. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiment and in all embodiments to be described, infra, to ensure fiuid-tight engagement between the respective compressible strips it is preferred that the compressible strips of the first tape member be of a height greater than the height of the hooking elements and that the compressible strips of the second tape member be of a height greater than the height of the complementary hooking elements. Finally, it is apparent that the tape members each may be provided with three or more spaced apart strips of compressible material as may be required.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a first sheet member 81 and a second sheet member 82 are joined together at marginal edge portions 83 and 84 respectively. A first tape member 85 is secured to the marginal edge portion 83 of the first sheet member 81. A first surface of the first tape member 85 is defined by an elongated strip 86 of soft compressible material similar to the compressible strips in the previously described embodiments. The strip 86 extends longitudinally along the entire first surface of the first tape member 85 again in a manner similar to the compressible strips of these embodiments. However, the compressible strip 86 has a groove 87 in an exposed surface 88. The width of groove 87 is substantially equal to the width of an elongated strip 89 of soft compressible material which extends longitudinally along the entire length of a second tape member 91 which in turn is secured to the marginal edge 84 of the second sheet member 82. As is evident from FIG. 4, hooking element strips 91, 92 are identical in construction and disposition to the previously described hooking element strips and cornplementary hooking element strips 93, 94 are identical in construction and disposition to the previously described complementary hooking element strips.

When the tape members 85, 91 are aligned and brought into face-to-face engagement, the compressible strip 89 registers with the groove 87 of the compressible strip 86 as the compressible strips 86, 89 are compressed against each other in fluid-tight engagement. It is contemplated that given tape members may comprise a series of two or more spaced apart strips of compressible material constructed in accordance with the FIG. 4 embodiment.

Referring nally to FIG. 5, a first sheet member 101 and a second sheet member 102 are releasably joined together at marginal edge portions 103 and 104 respectively. A first tape member 105 is secured to the marginal edge portion 103 of the first sheet member 101. A first surface of the first tape member 105 is defined by an elongated strip 106 of soft compressible material. The compressible strip 106 is secured to and extends longitudinally along the entire first surface of the first tape member 105. The remainder of the first surface of the first tape member 105 is defined by two strips 107, 108 which comprise a plurality of upstanding hooking elements 109. The hooking elements 109 are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as super polyamide which are shown in the present embodiment as cut at their outer extremities to form hooks. The hooking elements strips 107, 108 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the first tape member 105. The strip 107 extends transversely from a marginal edge 111 of the tape member 105 to a marginal edge 112 of the compressible strip 106, and strip 108 extends transversely from a marginal edge 113 of tape member 105 to a marginal edge 114 of the compressible strip 106. As in the case of the previously described embodiments, a second or reverse surface of the first tape member 105 is provided with a fluidimpervious layer 115 which is bonded or adhered directly thereto.

A second tape member 117 is secured to the marginal edge portion 104 of the second sheet member 102. A first surface of the second tape member 117 is defined by a pair of elongated strips 118, 119 of soft compressible material such as polyurethane or rubber foam which are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of compressible strip 106. The compressible strips 118,

119 are secured to and extend longitudinally along the entire length of the second tape member 117. The first surface of the tape member 117 is further defined by two strips 121, 122 which comprise a plurality of upstanding complementary hooking elements 123. The complementary hooking elements 123 are raised loop threads of synthetic material such as super polyamide which are shown in the present embodiment as closed loops. The complementary hooking elements strips 121, 122 extend longitudinally along substantially the entire first surface of the second tape member 117. The strip 121 extends transversely from a marginal edge 125 of the tape member 117 to a marginal edge 126 of the compressible strip 118, and the strip 122 extends transversely from a marginal edge 127 of the tape member 117 to a marginal edge i 128 of the compressible strip 119. A second or reverse surface of the second tape member 117 is provided with a fluid-impervious layer 129 which is similar to the layer 115 of the first tape member 105.

When the tape members and 117 are aligned as shown in FIG. 5 and brought firmly into face-to-face engagement, the compressible strip 106 will be forced against the first surface of the second tape member 117 at that portion between the compressible strips 118, 119 and the compressible strips 118, 119 will be forced against the first surface of the first tape member 105, thereby deforming laterally into fluid-tight engagement with each other. As in the previously described embodiments, a series of compressible strips made in accordance with the FIG. 5 embodiment may be provided on a given set of tape members.

I claim:

1. A closure assembly for releasably joining first and second members in fiuid-tight relationship comprising a rst tape member secured to the first member, the first tape member having a first surface defined by at least two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced-apart strips comprising a multiplicity of upstanding hooking elements of fiexible resilient material and at least one longitudinally extending strip of compressible material disposed between the hooking element strips, the compressible inaterial being characterized in that it is capable of being reduced in volume upon application of an external force, and a second tape member secured to the second member having a -first surface defined by at least two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced-apart strips comprising a multiplicity of upstanding complementary hooking elements of fiexible resilient material, the hooking element strips of the first tape member being arranged to register with the respective opposing complementary hooking element strips of the second tape member when the tape members are aligned and forced together into face-toface relationship causing a large number of hooking elements of the first tape member to engage a large number of complementary hooking elements of the second tape member constituting a bond which maintains the compressible material compressed therebetween sufficiently to prevent fiuid passage through the interfacial plane of engagement but which is readily separable by peeling forces applied substantially normal to the interfacial plane of engagement.

2. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first surface of each tape member includes at least two spaced-apart strips of compressible material.

3. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first surface of the first tape member includes at least one pair of strips of compressible material, each pair of strips of the first tape member being spaced apart a Vdistance substantially equal to the width of the corresponding compressible strips of the second tape member and being arranged to receive the corresponding compressible strips of the second tape member in fluid-tight engagement therebetween when the 'first and second tape -members are aligned and forced together into face-toface engagement.

' 4. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein' at least one longitudinally extending strip of compressible material is provided on each tape member, the compressible strips of the rst tape member being arranged to register with the compressible strips of the second tape member when the tape members are aligned and forced together into face-to-face relationship causing the compressible strips of the first tape member to be compressed against the corresponding compressible strips of the second tape member.

5. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein the rst surface of each tape member includes one strip of compressible material.

6. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein each strip of compressible material of the first tape member has a groove thereon, the groove and the corresponding strip of compressiblel material of the second tape member being substantially equal in width and the groove being arranged to receive the corresponding compressible strip of the second tape member in uid-tight engagement when the rst and second tape members are aligned and forced together into face-to-face engagement.

7. A closure assembly according to claim 1 wherein the strips of compressible material of the irst tape mem- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,403,429 10/ 1968 Smith 24-204 FOREIGN PATENTS 364,703 11/ 1938 Italy. 630,669 12/1961 Italy.

3 60,592 4/ 1962 Switzerland.

20 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 24--205.12 

